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PDP Victrix Interview – Fight Sticks, Arcade Controllers, Premium Prices, Hall Effect Sticks, and Much More

Posted on by Mikhail Madnani

Ever since I got into arcade sticks thanks to the 8BitDo stick I bought back in 2022, I’ve been looking at different controllers across price points, styles, and more. When looking at what people recommend and talking to friends, it always felt like the top end of the spectrum in price was Victrix’s premium lineup of the Pro FS and the Pro FS-12 controllers. A friend of mine has been using the Pro FS for almost a year and loves it. Having spoken to Razer about the Kitsune, I’ve been wanting to also chat with PDP about the Victrix controllers and the Pro BFG. Following EVO 2024, I had a chance to chat with Trevor Lehr from PDP/Victrix/Turtle Beach about the company’s controllers, arcade sticks, premium price points, community feedback, potentially expanding to more platforms, and much more.

TouchArcade (TA): Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do at PDP.

Trevor Lehr (TL): I’m Trevor Lehr, Director of Product Management at PDP/Victrix/Turtle Beach. I’ve been with the company since 2015 and since the inception of the Victrix Brand and its first product, the Pro AF ANC.

TA: How has it been for the team working under the Turtle Beach umbrella?

TL: It’s been a smooth transition so far, with our shared experience and expertise in the gaming industry, we’re able to work and fit together into the overall Turtle Beach vision.

TA: Having gotten into arcade controllers and sticks in recent years, it has been interesting seeing the Victrix Pro line talked about online for its premium feel and price. I wanted to know how it has been for the team seeing the response to the Victrix Pro FS and Victrix Pro FS-12 over the last year?

TL: The team is very proud of our products, and it’s always great seeing the positive response from customers and the community. Our products are purpose built, and the reaction from the community when they get their hands on the Pro FS / Pro FS-12 for the first time says it all in their initial “wow” moment.

TA: Alongside a golden age of fighting games, we are definitely in one for arcade controllers as well with so many options available across officially licensed ones, DIY controllers, and budget-friendly ones from across the world. What do you think sets the Victrix Pro FS line apart from the rest?

TL: The Pro FS line was developed from the ground up to be the best fight stick for the pros and aspiring pros. From the weight of the Pro FS, the Sanwa Denshi parts, the aluminum shell, the Victrix Engineered PCB and firmware – everything is built to deliver speed, durability, and continuous comfort for the long hours of practice that go into fighting games.

TA: I’ve not used the new Victrix Pro FS stick or leverless yet, but what made the team decide to use a single piece of aluminum as opposed to something lighter?

TL: There was not just one factor that led to the decision to use a single-piece of extruded aluminum, instead there were many reasons and benefits for this decision. While you might think aluminum is metal and therefore must be heavy, aluminum is actually one of the lightest metals while still providing extreme strength and rigidity. You want your fight stick to be planted on your lap without moving during a match, and you don’t want it to flex or creak as you lean your palms into it. Aluminum also provides an unparalleled aesthetic and allows us to provide unique custom laser-engraving to our customers onsite at many FGC events.
Testaments to the strength and durability of the Pro FS:

TA: The lineup also has recent collaborations with Tekken 8 and The King of Fighters offering limited edition finishes and engraving. How has the response been to these and are there plans to do more with other fighting games?

TL: The opportunity to partner with the best fighting game companies in the world is just another example of the validity of our Victrix line within the community and we are super excited with the launch of our Limited-Edition Pro FS collaboration models! The response has been positively overwhelming, and we sold out of all Tekken and The King of Fighters inventory we brought to EVO, safe to say they’re fan favorites. The King of Fighters Limited-Edition Pro FS collection is nearly sold out and preorders for TEKKEN 8 is nearing sell out as well!

TA: Using Sanwa Denshi parts makes sense given the popularity and reliability, but are there plans to offer models with Seimitsu’s Alutimo mechanical buttons or other mechanical buttons in the future?

TL: We use Sanwa Denshi parts as our standard to ensure speed, quality, and longevity. The Pro FS and Pro FS-12 are extremely mod-friendly with the user-accessible back door to easily inspect and swap in different buttons (like the Seimitsu Alutimo), if the user chooses to do so.

TA: A friend of mine has the purple Victrix Pro FS and likes it a lot aside from the cable storage solution and the lack of dedicated L3 and R3 buttons. I know you can map it to one button on the top, but has the team been looking at feedback like this from players?

TL: The Pro FS and Pro FS-12 have built in (and removable) cable wraps on the top of the aluminum that allows the cable to be wrapped up and clipped on when not in use for safe storing. The cable wraps also double as an attachment point to connect a shoulder strap for easier transport between your matches. We’re always open to hearing our customer feedback and taking any pain points or suggestions into consideration for the future.

TA: Most sticks these days are black with a few offering a white color option. The purple color is very striking, and I’m glad to see it available. Are there plans to do more aside from the limited editions?

TL: Purple is a staple of the Victrix Brand, and it only felt right offering that as an alternative to a more neutral white. I can’t speak to any future plans, but I always find it interesting hearing our fans’ “most desired” colors they tell us about at in-person FGC events throughout the year.

TA: We recently have seen a few new entrants into arcade controllers offering great thin leverless controllers at low prices. I don’t expect you to comment on price points of other manufacturers, but how do you and the team respond to people bringing up the lower price of the competition compared to the premium prices here?

TL: The market will always have products available across a broad spectrum of price points. This is great for the consumer and the industry to ensure everyone has access to enjoy the FGC. The Pro FS and Pro FS-12 are (usually) not someone’s first fight stick just getting into this space; we offer a premium product for the dedicated FGC customer who understands the quality and benefits we provide, which comes with the premium price.

TA: Can you comment on whether the Victrix Pro FS or the Victrix Pro FS-12 has been more popular overall from what you’ve seen?

TL: Both the Pro FS and Pro FS-12 have been extremely successful and popular, it just comes down to the style of play the customer is looking for. The traditional joystick Pro FS will never go away, there’s too much nostalgia and games that are meant to be enjoyed with a joystick. But the new style of play with the Pro FS-12 Leverless is not to be overlooked, many pros use leverless now thanks to the speed and precision advantages of button presses for directions instead of actual wrist/hand movements required on a joystick.

TA: Obviously PS5 is a priority for sticks and controllers these days, but I want to know if there are any plans to work with Xbox or Nintendo on having official support in the future for their platforms? I recently bought an 8BitDo for Xbox just to have a stick for the console while most of my leverless controllers work on Switch out of the box.

TL: We offer models of the Pro BFG and the Gambit Prime controller for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC but with our commitment to the community, we are always listening to what they are looking for next and an Xbox fight stick may or may not be a future consideration.

TA: Before discussing the BFG and controllers in general, I wanted to ask about the removable shaft. I recently installed one on my own Hori stick, but it’s great to see it available out of the box here. What sort of work went into this behind the scenes?

TL: Lots of work, time, and testing went into perfecting our patented removable shaft. First and foremost, it needs to act and feel just like a normal joystick when installed and during normal use. You need to be able to hold it and use it as you normally would without feeling any bumps or ridges to distract your gameplay, and you need to be confident that it’s secure and won’t unintentionally come off during use. Once removed, you can slide your Pro FS into the Victrix Tournament Backpack much easier without the joystick getting in the way, and without the fear of damaging the joystick’s microswitches if the lever were to get jammed in a certain position while transporting it.

TA: Did the team consult with any outside players and professional competitors while designing the Pro FS and FS-12 in addition to making sure it is easy to mod?

TL: Yes, professional and competitive performance is part of the Victrix DNA, we worked with pros during the early concepting and throughout the development leading to launch of the Pro FS and Pro FS-12.

TA: How has the response been for the controllers outside North America? Do you hear a lot from players in Asia?

TL: Victrix is very well received in Asia, and we have quite a big presence and following in Japan. We sponsored and were onsite at EVO Japan earlier this year, and most recently sponsored and were onsite at RAGE (a Street Fighter and Overwatch tournament) in Japan.

TA: My first taste of Pro or Elite controllers was when I got the first generation Xbox Elite Controller and loved it. I recently bought a DualSense Edge and use it daily. What impressed me about the Victrix Pro BFG Wireless Controller, is the modular nature offering more than what Sony and Microsoft offer on their pro controllers. Tell us a little bit about the thought process behind the specific modules and tools included in the box.

TL: Our goal with the Pro BFG was to develop a product for the pros and for the more-than-casual gamer at home who can appreciate the detail, modularity, and performance offered. We wanted the Pro BFG to be the go-to controller, regardless of the genre of game being played. We’re deeply ingrained in the FGC, so our 6-button microswitch fightpad module was a must. But we didn’t want to leave out the FPS and RPG fans from this product, which is where the interchangeable right module came into play to offer a standard analog stick/action button module as well. And if we’re going that far, then we wanted to address those players who prefer either an Xbox layout with offset analog sticks, or a PlayStation layout with side-by-side analog sticks and leave it up to the user to decide their layout, regardless of the platform, with the 180º rotatable left module. Similarly, we include many interchangeable attachments (all enclosed in the included carrying case) to ensure the user has the exact D-Pad style, analog stick height, or analog stick gate (circular or octagonal) to fit the game they’re playing now, and fit the different game they may play tomorrow.

TA: I saw the new Hall Effect Module Pack for the PlayStation and Xbox branded controllers. I was actually going to ask about hall effect sticks before seeing this, but it is good to see it available for existing owners as an optional purchase. Are there plans to make these the standard going forward for new Victrix Pro BFG Wireless Controller models?

TL: We’re super excited about the launch of our new Hall Effect Module Pack! While we can’t speak to future plans, this is one of the benefits of the modularity of the Pro BFG controller, enabling customers to further enhance their controller with add-on modules after purchase.

TA: Has there been anything players have asked for over the years that you’ve not been able to work with for controllers yet?

TL: We occasionally get very unique and specialized requests for one-off controllers/features from our fans. While we appreciate the creativity and ideas, we have to look at product development from a mass market perspective, which includes weighing tradeoffs to find the best overall balance.

TA: The most recent release is the Victrix Pro BFG Wireless Controller Tekken 8 Rage Art-themed edition. How has it been collaborating with the Tekken 8 team at Bandai Namco?

TL: We have a great business relationship with Bandai Namco, and it’s been a very fun and collaborative process working with them on all 8 of our Tekken 8 SKUs (6 Pro FS characters, the Rage Art BFG, and the Tekken Backpack). The Tekken Pro FS models and Rage Art Pro BFG model were all showcased and available for play testing at the Bandai Namco booth at EVO Las Vegas last month.

TA: Hypothetical situation: If you could design a themed controller and a themed stick for any IP in the world without any restrictions, what would you pick? This doesn’t have to be limited to gaming so go wild.

TL: This is tough, knowing the possibilities are endless. Stepping out of the gaming world, I would probably choose a themed product based on outdoor adventure, offroading, and Jeep exploration.

TA: The Victrix Pro BFG Wireless Controller comes with a nice premium case, and I wondered if there were plans to do a similar hard case in the box for the Victrix Pro FS controllers?

TL: The Pro BFG comes with many small attachments that need a home for storage when not in use, or during travel. The Pro FS is self-sustaining and its removable shaft, dust cap, and USB cable can all be stored directly in/on the product itself. We also separately have our Victrix Tournament Backpack, which was designed specifically to fit and carry the Pro FS (along with room and features to carry many other items at the same time).

TA: What should we expect from Victrix and PDP in 2024 following EVO 2024?

TL: Continued support and involvement in the community.

TA: How do you like your coffee?

TL: I like my coffee hot. I like my morning coffee (at least 2 cups throughout the morning) with some French vanilla cream. I prefer my after-lunch coffee black with no cream or sugar to help settle down after a good meal.

I’d like to thank Trevor Lehr and Eric Nielsen for their time and help here.

You can keep up with all our interviews here including our recent ones with FuturLab here, Shuhei Matsumoto from Capcom about Marvel Vs Capcom here, Santa Ragione here, Peter ‘Durante’ Thoman about PH3 and Falcom here, M2 discussing shmups and more here, Digital Extremes for Warframe mobile, Team NINJA, Sonic Dream Team, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and more. As usual, thanks for reading.

Featured image via Victrix Pro Twitter account.